The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-11
EMINENT RIDERS.
George Bancroft, Secretary Bayard,
Senator Bayard and the Horses
they Eestride.
New York Mail and Express


Riding-fot horseback riding" which is
un-English in form and is therefore most In
tolerable and not to be endured-is extreme
ly popular in Washington. Not to be whit
behind New York, large riding academy
has been built near Mr.. Blaine's superb Du-
pont circle house, and here the gilded youth
may disport, and occasionally fall of and get
shaken up, to be afterwards carried home in
the patrol wagon, Ladies' habit-makers
have been comparatively numerous, and in
the window of the finest ladies' shop here
may be seen a stuffed horse, with wax fig
ure in riding dress perched upon it in the
mort impossible position woman ever as
sumed on horseback. The original owner of
the hide Of the stuffed horse was a Derby
winner-and q very handsome fellow he
must have been, if the taxidermist has not
beautifed him.
The nearness of the West End to green
larize riding, 1t is not twenty minutes from
the most fashionable part of the town to
charming suburban roadS-and although the
Soldiers Home Park is a little further, yet
1t is near enough to make it available for
riders. The riding people of Washington
are historic. First always comes Mr.. George
Bancroft, who, mounted on stout cob, with
Herman, his valet, following him on another
Is one OF the regular afternoon pictures of
Washington. Mr.. Bancroft rides in the
American style-the West Point style, the
cowboy style, the style that all men assume
when fighting on horseback. Mr.. Bancroft
was once very graceful rider-but now he
IS bowed by age, and leans over in his saddle
like tired old man.
Secretary Bayard is devoted to horseback
exercise, although he has not ridden so
much since the death of his daughter She
was his constant companion in his rides
about Washington, and nearly every after
noon the two could be seen starting out from
their Highland Place house. The Secretary
rides a well-broken horse, with strain of
good blood, and is thoroughly at home on
horseback. He rode almost before he walked,
and he taught his daughters to ride, superin-
tending that part of their education himself.
his daughter, Miss Mamie Bayard,i is perhaps
the best OF all the girl riders in Washington.
She generally accompanies her father when
he goes for an afternoon canter. She is per-
fectly insensible to fear, and daring to the
verge of recklessness.
Senator Edmunds is as devoted to the cult
OF the horse as If he had been brought up in
the Blue Grass region of Kentucky instead
OF the Green Mountains of Vermont. He
has an only daughter to whom he is entirely
devoted, and he thinks much of her health
depends much upon her horseback exercises.
so every pleasant afternoon the horses are
brought up to his door on Massachusetts ave-
nue. and the Senator and his daughter 90 for
canter in the country lanes about Wash
lngton. In winter weather he does not ride
much, but on soft spring afternoon Meth
ing short Of tying him could keep him at the
Capitol. Nor does this Vermont man care
about Destrldlng screw, either. He is a
good Judge OF horsefiesh and something of a
horse fancler, and when he wants horse he
doesn't mind paying for it. On the very day
Of the last Presidential convention, when Mr.
Theodore Roosevelt was figuratiyely taking
OIL his coat for Edmunds at Chicago, the Sem
ator took an early train and went away off
INTO the mountain country of Virginia to
look at horse. 1t is satisfactory TO know
that although he didn't get the Republican
nomination Tor President he got an excellent
horse, which he rides to this day.
senator Don Cameron is great ihOrseman
and OF the seven daughters with which fate
has blessed him, at least four are accom-
plished riders. The Senator is not very reg
ular in taking his galop, but there is nothing
ne llkes SO well as riding tour. Sometimes
he rldos from Harrisburg to Washington.
Last year his eldest unmarried daughter ac-
companied him. Nearly every spring he
makes an excursion on horseback of a week
or two 10 the valley of Virginia. The Sena-
Tor does not 60 In for style in either his
methods or his aceoutrements, and logs along
very much like Pennsylvania farmer re-
turning from market, with his wife's butter
money In one pocket and note for the rest
due on the brinde cow in the other.
Our own Eyarts occasionally mounts de-
along contentedly. But if he has a compan-
ion, he is apt TO become involved IN DISGUISE
tions, and the first thing he knows his horse
head has brought right up against the side of
barn, or else the Senator finds himself
wedged in the corner of worm fence while
the steed endeaV0rs to poke his head through
the rails in search of clover and timothy.
Perry Belmont rides good deal. 1t is
scarcely necessary to say that in style and
aecontrements. M. Belmont represents one
extremity of the arc of circle, while Sena
tor Cameron represents the other. Mr.. Bel
mont might have been taken up bodily from
Rotton Row and transplanted to Washington.
Mr.. Gregor, of the Russian Legation, who
has left town for good, was regarded as the
best Rider in the Diplomatic Corps, and Mrs.
Helyar, also gone, the best rider among the
women. Mrs. Kate Chase is superb on
horseback and her daughter, Miss Ethel,
looks charming and daring in the saddle.
one mas an admirable figure, and is positively
handsome on horseback.
The English and American methods of
Rang are about equally adopted here. The
!Elngllsn Is perhaps more fashionable, as it is
1ile s method used by the Diplomatic Corps,
strict sense. 1t is however, eonsiderahIv
e 81. and often amounts to travesty
on the hunting seat, as the English call the
rising 10 the saddle, to distinguish II from
the military seat which soldiers adont on tha
parade ground. For practical purp5ses the
Engllsh virtually admit that the militarv
seat is tne pest, as they use it in the army.
where if anywhere good seat is esssntia1I'
and under the only circumstances where -
man has anything to do on horseback.
Mme Emma Nevada has scored an i'm
mense success in "Sonnambula" at Lisbon.
no wing haan raea lied threa timas at tho o1oso